DENVER | When the train gets rolling for the Cherokee Trail baseball team, it helps the Cougars reach their desired destination.
While the offense wasn’t explosive Friday morning in the opener of the Class 5A Baseball Championship Series, a short burst got Cherokee Trail what it needed to back senior pitcher Logan Reid en route to a 3-2 victory over Horizon.
All four hits for the Cougars came in a three-run third inning that included run-scoring hits by juniors Brody Ceyrolles and junior Landon Olds and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from junior Jake Hernandez that held up to advance coach Jon DiGiorgio’s team in the championship bracket of the tournament.
That was plenty with Reid on the mound, as the University of Houston-bound left-hander had another outstanding postseason outing, as he did last season in helping Cherokee Trail make it all the way to the state championship game.
Reid allowed just five hits and struck out eight over 6 1/3 innings, with the only trouble coming in the fifth inning when he fielded a bunt and threw wildly past first base for a two-base error. The Hawks got a two-out, two-run single from leadoff hitter Isaac Gomez to cash in on the opportunity, but otherwise got only three other runners in scoring position the whole game.
Reid struck out the side in the second inning and had at least one whiff in every inning save the third, when a catch and throw by senior right fielder Akoi Burton turned into a double play to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, senior No. 9 hitter Johnny Robledo launched a ball into the gap on a full count for a double and came home on the next pitch on a double by Ceyrolles, who scored himself on a single by Olds. Senior Braedan Reichert singled and scored on Hernandez’s fly fall to left field on a 3-2 count.
Reid got the first out of the seventh inning, then was relieved mid count against the second batter by junior Ethin Woltz, who got two outs to save the game and send the Cougars into an afternoon matchup with Regis Jesuit.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2024 CLASS 5A BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(11) CHEROKEE TRAIL 3, (19) HORIZON 2
Score by innings:
Horizon 000 020 0 — 2 5 3
Cher. Trail 003 000 x — 3 4 1
HORIZON (ab-r-h-rbi)
Isaac Gomez ss 2-0-2-2, Robert Whitaker p-2b 3-0-1-0, Parker Aaron c 3-0-0-0, Marek Stone 1b-p 3-0-1-0, Austin Petersen 2b-1b 2-0-0-0, Trenton Stukas dh 2-1-0-0, Cooper Brennan rf 3-1-0-0, Maxton Sosa cf 3-0-0-0, Tanner Vang lf 3-0-1-0. Totals 24-2-5-2. Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Robert Whitaker (L, 5 2/3-3-3-1-4-9), Marek Stone (1-0-0-0-0-1).
CHEROKEE TRAIL (ab-r-h-rbi)
Brody Ceyrolles 2b 3-1-1-1, Landon Olds 3b 3-0-1-1, Braedan Reichert ss 3-1-1-0, Akoi Burton rf 2-0-0-0, Logan Reid p 1-0-0-0, Jake Hernandez 1b 2-0-0-1, Luca Slavato c 2-0-0-0, Jack Boyko lf 3-0-0-0, Johnny Robledo cf 2-1-1-0. Totals 21-3-4-3. Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-k): Logan Reid (W, 6 1/3-5-2-0-1-8), Ethin Woltz (Save, 2/3-0-0-0-0-1)
2B — Cherokee Trail: Brody Ceyrolles, Johnny Robledo
